Woman found dead in car in south Wichita

A 55-year-old woman was found dead in her car beneath a south Wichita bridge Thursday morning, police said.

Wichita police Capt. Brent Allred said the car appeared to have left the road as it was southbound on Broadway, then traveled down a steep embankment and struck a concrete abutment. Construction workers, he said, saw the car around noon Wednesday but didn’t realize anyone was inside.

They discovered the woman’s body shortly after 8 a.m. Thursday and called 911, Allred said. She has been identified as Mary G. House.

Family members last heard from House at about 10 a.m. Wednesday, Allred said. Investigators now think the crash occurred between 10 a.m. and noon on Wednesday.

While an autopsy has not yet been conducted, Allred said investigators think a medical condition caused House’s death and not the crash.

Construction on a bridge in the area has been underway for several months. The car appears to have left Broadway in an area that has no safety railings or barriers just north of the bridge. Tire tracks show the car’s path down the steep embankment.